Stopper fastener



Feb. 27, 1940.

. H. c. WARREN 2,191,812

STOPPER FASTENER Filed Aug. 31, 1938 I 15 j; l@

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 2.7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOPPER FASTENER Application August 31,

Claims.

H ple, Stoppers for drains and the like.

The most common type of device for coupling bead chains to fixtures consists generally of a capsule-like member within which is received the end bead of a bead chain. A ring passes throughl apertures in the walls of the capsule and is received in a transverse bore in the end of a `plug which is partially embedded in the stopper or other plumbing fixture. This type of coupling device, while permitting ready detachment of the chain from the stopper, is unsightly and unnecessarily complicated, yfor the reason that three differently shaped and sized parts are required to couple the chain tor the stopper.'

This invention has as its principal object, the

provision of a simplified coupling device by means of which a bead chain can be connected directly to a plumbing xture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling device which forms a part of a stopper or other p-lumbing fixture and to which a chain may be detachably connected.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the description of typical forms of devices embodying the invention.

Devices of the type embodying the present invention consist generally of a member which is xed to or embedded in a stopper or other plumbing fixture and which has an end projecting beyond the upper surface of the fixture and provided with means for detachably receiving the end bead of a bead chain. The means for receiving the end b ead is a transverse bore of sufficient size to receive the bead and a transverse slot in the end of the coupling member for receiving one of the wire links that connect the beads of the chain. The transverse slot may extend entirely across the end of the coupling member to form spaced jaws orl arms between which the link of the bead chain is received, or only partially across the end of the coupling member and may be provided with an enlarged portion of sufiicient diameter to loosely receive the link on the chain. The slot may be of suflicient width to allow the link to pass freely therethrough or it may be of such narrow width that the arms must be sprung slightly in order that the link may pass into the slot. The former type of slot may be closed by compressing the ends of the arms toward each other to thereby lock the link firmly in the coupling, while with the latter type, the resiliency of the arms is sufficient to prevent in- 1938, Serial N0. 227,624

advertent removal of the link from between the arms.

The coupling device may be provided with integral flanges which when embedded in for example a rubber stopper, prevents the ready with- 5 drawal of the coupling member therefrom. Al-

ternatively, the coupling member may be formed from a plurality of detachable parts which permit the coupling element to be readily removed from or attached to the stopper.

Devices of the type described generally above are simple, convenient in use, and of greatly irnproved appearance over the coupling devices heretofore known. The unsightly ring and capsule normally used to connect chains' and Stoppers are eliminated, and byv reason of their elimination, the cost of the entire coupling assembly ismaterially reduced.

For a better understanding of the present invention,v reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan 'view of a stopper with a typical form of coupling device connected thereto;

Figure 2 is a side view of in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view partly in vertical section and partly broken of the stopper shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective View of 30 a modified form of coupling device.

The form of coupling member disclosed in Figures 1 to 3, consists of a plug lll having a generally cylindrical body ll which is embedded in a stopper l2. vided with-a pair of spaced flanges I3 and i4 v which act to position and fix the plug firmly in the stopper l2. The upper end l5 of the plug l0 may be rounded or of any other desired shape and is provided with a transversely extending cylindrical bore Iii of sufficient size to loosely receive the end bead l1 of the bead chain i8. The end l5 of the plug is lprovided with a transversely extending slot I9 which communicates with the bore I6, thereby forming curved converging arms or jaws 2t and 2l on the end of the plug It. The opposed ends of the arms 2li and 2l are provided with notches 22 and 23 within which is received the link 24 on the bead chain.

The slot i9 may be made of suicient width 50 to allow ready passage of the link 24 therethrough from end to end. When the linkv is received in the opposed notches 22 and 2,3, 'the jaws or arms 2li and 2l may be crimped or the stopper shown 2s squeezed together to substantially close the slot The body il of the plug is pro- 35 and thereby retain the link 24 within the notches 22 and 23. Y

If desired, the slot I9 may be made narrower than the thickness of the link 24 so that it is necessary to distort the jaws in order to snap the link into the notches 22 and 23. `'I'he natural resiliency of the jaws 2) and 2l causes them to retain the link firmly in the notches.

In the modified form of coupling device shown in Figure 4, the plug 3U is provided with radial iianges 3l and 32 for retaining the plug in the stopper, and similarly to the modification described above, includes a transverse bore 33 for receiving the end bead on the bead chain. The slot 34 for receiving thelink on the chain extends only partially across the end of the plug Bil and is provided with an enlarged portion S5 for receiving the link on the chain. With this form of device, the link may be passed into the enlargement 35 and the slot 3Q substantially closed by pressing together portions of the plug which are adjacent to the slot 34. v.

Both of the forms of the invention described above are characterized by extreme simplicity and by improved appearance. The plugs or coupling members may be made of any desired shape to conform to the design of the particular plumbing fixtures with which they are to be used and likewise may be made of many different types of materials. All necessity for additional coupling rings and capsules is eliminated, While at the same time the ease of attachment and disconnection which is so highly desirable in devices of this type is retained.

While the forms of the invention described above have included integral plug members which are adapted to be embedded in a stopper or other plumbing fixture, it will be understood that the plugs may be formed of a plurality of parts, such as for example, interiitting screw members or press-tted elements.

It will be understood that there can be many variations made in the shape or form of coupling devices embodying the present invention, and that they may be made from various types of material, or combinations of materials, without departing from the invention. Therefore,.the forms of the invention described above should be considered as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

l. A fastening device for connecting a chain having beads and connecting links to plumbing iixtures, comprising a coupling memberadapted to be Xed in said plumbing fixture with one end disposed outwardly of said fixture and having a transverse bore adjacent said one endff'or receiving a bead and a slot extending at least partially across said one end for receiving the link adja- I cent the bead, said slot being of less Width than the thickness of said link.

2. The fastening device set forth in claim 1 in which the slot extends entirely across the said onel end of the coupling member and has a central enlargement for receiving said link.

3. A fastening device for connecting chains having beads and connecting links to plumbing iiXtures comprising a coupling member having a body and means for xing the member to the i fixture, arms 'projecting from. one end' of the body and converging toward their` outer ends to dene a transversely extending bore for receiving a bead, saidy arms having notches in their ends for receiving a link of said chain, said ends being spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of said link.

4. A fastening device for connecting chains, y

having beads and links to Stoppers, comprising a plug adapted to be partially embedded in said stopper with one end projecting therefrom, said v one end having a transverse bore for receiving a bead and a transversely extending slot for receiving a link, said slot being of less width than the thickness of said link. l

5. A fastening device for connecting' bead chains to Stoppers comprisingA a body member" vadapted to bel partially embedded in a stoppen.

means cn the body member for fixing `the body `member in the stopper, said body member haw ing a transversely extending bore adjacent to one end thereof and a slot extending partially across said one end and communicating with said bore, whereby the end bead of the'bead chain may be disposed in said bore and the said one end compressed to prevent detachment of said chain from said body member.

HAROLD C. WARREN. 

